Active Learning Activities

Nature of Science Ice-Breaker

A first class ice-breaker activity introducing the nature of science.

Controversy in the Science Classroom: Nature of Science Quiz

Don’t go NUTS: A Case Study on the Physiology of Stress

Preparation for Future Learning: Electric Flux

Model Building

Students learn to build a conceptual model describing a situation involving an accelerating charged particle.

Case Study: Anophthalmia

Case Study: Malignant hyperthermia

Case Study: Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa

Case Study: Discovering the Structure of DNA

Building Effective Teams

If You’re Not Part of the Solution You’re Part of the Precipitate

Don’t leave it to chance! Testing Biology Data Right the First Time

In this activity students learn how to apply statistics to biological data through a series of mini case studies.

Cytoskeletal Proteins in Amoeba

Taking the role of a biologist, students statistically determine how different drug treatments can affect amoeba cell shape.

A Case for Cystic Fibrosis (CF): A Québec Perspective

In this activity students take on the role of a geneticist helping an individual recently diagnosed with cystic fibrosis.

Disappearing Sea Otters

Students take the role of an ecologist and try to analyze species behaviours and predict population change.

Photosynthesis: Light Dependent Reactions

From “Yum” to “Yuk”: A Case in Point… Mutation

Brazil Nut Tree

Students take on the role of ecologists, tasked with saving the Brazil nut tree from the effects of deforestation.

Organic Food vs GMOs

Alien Cell Dissection

Students learn to apply their knowledge of normal "terrestrial" cells to a new scenario (an alien cell).

Does X Associate with Y?

Biological Molecules

Reflective Writing On Waves

What is Torque?